“We don’t need ‘GRANDSTANDERS’ in the Republican Party”: Trump fumes while refusing to whip votes for megabill

President Donald Trump has not yet begun personally lobbying Republican lawmakers to support what he calls a “big beautiful bill” containing tax cuts, border security measures, and other GOP priorities, according to a White House official. Despite the legislation facing resistance from within his own party, Trump’s current involvement is limited to maintaining communication with House Speaker Mike Johnson and receiving briefings from his legislative director James Braid and political director James Blair.

The White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity, explained that Trump is waiting for direction from his legislative team before actively whipping votes. “The White House is in constant touch with the speaker’s team. The president is in constant touch with the speaker, and when they feel the president needs to make calls to members, those lists are drafted for him and he’s always willing to do it, but we haven’t gotten to that point yet,” the official stated. This approach comes as House Republicans struggle to build consensus around the legislation, which represents Trump’s most significant opportunity to create a legislative legacy in a second term dominated thus far by executive actions.

In a late-night post on X, Trump expressed frustration with Republicans who appear reluctant to support the bill, writing “We don’t need ‘GRANDSTANDERS’ in the Republican Party. STOP TALKING, AND GET IT DONE!” This message followed his Friday appeal urging conservatives to fall in line behind the legislation. However, despite this public pressure, the president has refrained from directly contacting hesitant members to secure their votes.

Conservative holdouts demand changes as bill advances toward floor vote

House GOP leaders have promised hardline conservatives that changes will be made to the bill before it reaches the House floor, a commitment made to secure its advancement through committee. As of Monday afternoon, Republicans were already making adjustments to the legislation. The White House official indicated that Trump is not influencing specific policy debates within the package, such as potential decreases to federal Medicaid contributions suggested by some conservatives or discussions about tax deductions important to blue-state Republicans.

Instead, the president is leaving these matters “to members to negotiate amongst themselves,” with the White House expecting “them to come to a mutually agreeable solution to move the bill forward.” The official added that Trump supports the current language in the bill, despite ongoing negotiations among Republican lawmakers.

Four conservative representatives—Chip Roy of Texas, Ralph Norman of South Carolina, Josh Brecheen of Oklahoma, and Andrew Clyde of Georgia—voted “present” during Sunday night’s committee vote, allowing the package to advance despite their reservations. Representative Roy later posted on social media platform X that “The bill does not yet meet the moment. We can and must do better before we pass the final product.” These fiscal hawks continue to threaten opposition without further spending cuts and additional conservative policy priorities, potentially including further Medicaid changes and elimination of green-energy tax credits enacted during the Biden administration.

The legislation must now clear the House Rules Committee, which is scheduled to meet at 1 a.m. on Wednesday, before advancing to a floor vote. Both Representatives Roy and Norman sit on this committee, where amendments can be offered. Despite these challenges, Speaker Johnson remains committed to passing the legislation before members depart for the Memorial Day weekend, setting up a critical few days for the bill’s prospects and the president’s legislative agenda.